Patrick Reynolds, Freelance Reporter

Crossrail has awarded 10 enabling works contracts, has called for expressions of interest on the third major running tunnel contract for the project, and has started procurement of the advance works contracts at its five interconnecting stations across central London.

The enabling works contracts are for a combination of station and tunnel-related works and are awarded to:

Costain Skanska JV for construction of the Pudding Mill Lane Portal in east London, Contract C248, and also for the C330 Royal Oak Portal on the west side of the capital;

Keltbray for C209 to demolish the eastern ticket hall at Farringdon station and Contract C201 for demolition of the taxi facility at the Royal Oak Portal;

McGee Group is engaged for demolition works at Tottenham Court Road (C208) and Bond Street stations (C207);

Select Plant Hire is awarded enabling works at Bond Street eastern and western ticket hall (C223), and site facilities at Liverpool Street Station (C225);

Carrilion has the Paddington Integrated Project Package (C271), which includes site facilities, pile driving and groundworks; and

Kier Construction has Contract C244 to establish the Whitechapel working platform over the East London Line.

Crossrail's underground route beneath London

Values of the individual contracts were not disclosed but Crossrail said the total cost of the enabling works contracts awarded so far is approximately £52.5 million (US$80 million).

Crossrail will run west-east beneath central London in almost 42km of 6.2m i.d. twin-tube running tunnels connecting main stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street and three further stations in the east London at Whitechapel, Canary Wharf in the Isle of Dogs, and Woolwich. The project is scheduled to have rail services introduced by 2017-18.

The running tunnels are to be constructed in three contracts. The procurement process for the two main tunnels beneath central London is progress and the deadline for expressions of interest (EoI) for Contract C310 for the running tunnels under the Thames in east London between the North Woolwich and the Plumstead portals next week 24 March.

The two running tunnel contracts in central London are C300 for the western tunnels from Royal Oak Portal near Paddington to Farringdon, and the C305 eastern tunnels to be built in two sections from Farringdon to portals at Pudding Mill Lane and Victoria Dock, respectively.

Five JVs have been shortlisted for both C300 and C305 contract, with one consortium seeing Costain and Skanska teamed with Bilfinger Berger. The two contracts are to be awarded by mid-year.

Notices for proposed advance works contract at five Crossrail stations have also been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). These are contracts C411, C421, C430, C501 and C511 for works at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, and Whitechapel stations, respectively. The majority of the works will involve piling, excavation of access shafts, temporary works and installation of dewatering systems where required. In a statement, Crossrail Programme Director, Andy Mitchell said the contracts are "significant pieces of work" as they are needed and must be completed on schedule to receive TBMs as they progress the running tunnels between the stations. The first two of up to eight TBMs needed to buid project are to be launched from Royal Oak Portal in late 2011.

In further good news for the project, funding support for the training push in the project took a major step forward this week with £5 million (US$7.67 million) coming from the Government, through the Learning & Skills Council, to help finance the dedicated Tunnelling & Underground Construction Academy. The Academy is sponsored by the Government, the Crossrail project, other tunnel building owners in the UK and by the UK tunnelling industry, to train up to 1,000 recruits a year in a wide range of tunnelling skills needed to build Crossrail as well as other tunnelling projects across the country in the future.

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